Poison
by Red Blaze 16
Summary: With the abduction of Satsuki, Cale and Sage must work together if they have any hope of saving her. Rated for suggested sexual violence. Please R&R.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronin Warriors, so please don't sue me.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you haven't read Shadows, than don't blame me if you don't understand what's going on.**_

Poison

By Red Blaze 16

Prologue

How could I have known that it would come to this? thinks Sage, standing in the bedroom of the Warlord of Darkness. Staring at the spot where his sister had been standing in before being stolen from him again. That day seems so far away. The day I got a call from Satsuki. "We have a problem." Those four little words started all of this.

Blinking his eyes rapidly, Sage pulls his eyes from the spot where he had last seen his sister to stare at the man who had stolen her the first time. Cale, the former Warlord of Corruption and Decay and his mortal enemy.

"What now?" asks Sage, his voice sounding so loud in the empty room. "Where did he take her?"

Shaking his head, Cale glances at Sage once before closing his eyes.

"I don't know where he has taken her," says Cale, opening his eyes again. Raising a hand, Cale clenches it tightly into a fist before shaking it in the air. "But if he harms her, then nothing will save him from my wrath."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Drip. Drip. Drip. At first the only sound she can hear is the sound of water hitting the ground. Opening her eyes slowly, Satsuki looks around but finds herself in a cold, damp cave.

"Where am I?" she asks of no one in particular.

"A place that will have special meaning to your brother."

Whipping around, she finds herself not alone in the cave like she had thought. Standing only a few feet from her is Sekhmet, the Warlord of Venom.

"So, why am I here?" Satsuki demands, as she stands up to face the Warlord.

"I think mortals would refer to you as insurance," replies the green haired warrior, with a smirk. "You're here to make sure that your brother and your boyfriend do as I want."

Stepping toward the young woman, Sekhmet reaches out and grabs Satsuki and draws her near to him.

"You're also here to entertain me," says Sekhmet, before he rips her shirt from her body.

………………

In the woods not far from the Koji mansion, Sage and Cale appear. Not saying a word to each other, they quickly start to move toward the mansion and the other Ronin Warriors.

Stepping out of the woods, Sage leads the way to the mansion and, stopping at the door, he opens it and lets both himself and the Warlord inside.

"Hey, dude! What took so long?" asks Kento, as he steps out of the kitchen.

Stopping when he sees that Sage is not alone, Kento looks confused for only a moment before he strides over to Sage.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" demands Kento, placing a hand on Cale's chest and shoving him toward the door.

"What's going on?" asks Cye, as he also steps out of the kitchen.

"Leave him alone, Kento," says Sage, stepping between his friend and his former enemy.

Turning his head, Sage glances once at Cye before returning his attention to the Warrior of Strength.

"Get the others," says Sage. "We have a problem."

………………

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: With my Christmas break over, it's time for me to go back to teaching. The chapters are going to be a little slower in updating, but I won't forget about the story. Don't worry! Have a Happy New Year!**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Ronin Warriors sat in the living room, unable to take their eyes off of their uninvited guest and former enemy. Cale, the Warlord of Darkness, sensing how uneasy he made everyone in the room, paced the room. The only Ronin who was not staring at the Warlord was Sage.

"So let me get this straight," says Cye, glancing between the Warlord of Darkness and the Ronin of Light. "Sekhmet has Satsuki and we have to get her back."

"Yes," says Sage, nodding his head. "But we don't know where she is."

"I bet that guy knows," says Kento, point a finger at Cale. "I bet this is all a set up of some sort."

"And for what reason would I have to put Satsuki in the kind of position she has been placed into. I would never want harm to come to her," says Cale, trying to control his temper.

"Says you," replies Kento, standing up. "You guys have been trying to kill us since you got into town. How do we even know you're telling us the truth?"

"I watched Sekhmet take my sister," says Sage, stepping between Kento and Cale.

"It could still be a trap," says Kento stubbornly.

"It doesn't matter," says Rowen, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "We still have to find her."

"I still don't trust him," says Kento, sitting back down.

"I'm not asking you to trust me," says Cale, staring down at the younger man. "I'm just asking you to help me find her."

Having listened to enough, Ryo stands up in the middle of the room. Gaining the attention of everyone in the room, Ryo takes a deep breath.

"All that matters is that we find Satsuki and we find her now," says Ryo. "We'll worry about the Warlords later."

"Whether we agree to help doesn't change that we don't know where she is," says Cye, shaking his head.

…………………

Shaking uncontrollably, Satsuki raises her head to look around the cave. Pulling together what is left of her shirt, she finds herself alone. Relieved, if only for a moment, Satsuki lowers her head and begins to cry.


	4. Chapter 3

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this newest chapter took so long. You can blame my Beta. She's been a little slow. :)**_

Chapter 3

The meeting had long since broken up, though the Ronins and Cale were no closer to figuring out where Satsuki was. Sage finding that he couldn't remain inside the house, opened the door. Having only just barely stepped outside, Sage stops what he is doing and watches a red jeep pull up the house.

As the jeep came to a stop, Sage walks over to the driver's side door and waits for the engine to be turned off. Opening to door, Sage waits until Mia had gotten out of the car.

"Nice to see you, Sage," says Mia, smiling.

Slowly the smile drains off of her face as she really looks at the blonde warrior.

"What's wrong, Sage?" asks the older woman. "Is Cale still bothering your sister?"

Shaking his head, Sage lets out a hopeless laugh, but closing his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he runs a hand through his hair.

"It's worse," says Sage. "Satsuki is gone. Sekhmet took her. We don't know where she is."

"Oh my God," says Mia, raising a hand to her mouth. "Do we have any clues?"

"He's using Satsuki as 'insurance' against us. He said we would know where to find him when the time comes," explains Sage.

Nodding her head, Mia strides for the door to her house.

"Come on, Sage," says Mia, as she opens the door. "We need to find your sister."

…………….

Calling the meeting back into order, Mia took a moment to control herself when she first watched the Dark Warlord enter the room with the other Ronins. Her mind floated back into the memories of the past, remember the first time she had seen him.

For a moment, she allows her mind to run through the early memories she had of the Warlords and how the Ronins had, in the end, defeated Talpa. Shaking her head, Mia gets her mind back on the matter at hand.

"What do we know?" she asks.

"Not much," replies Cye, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sekhmet took Satsuki to use against Sage and Cale," says Rowen. "He said that, when they were ready, they'd be able to find him."

"So, he must have taken her to a location that we would know of," says Mia, pacing around the room.

"But where?" demands Kento.

"Well, I would say that, since the main members involved in this are Sage and Cale, then the location must have meaning for them," says Mia, pausing to stop pacing in front of the two men.

"But I can't think of any place on the mortal realm where Sekhmet could have taken her," says Cale, shaking his head.

"What about you, Sage?" asks Mia, cocking her head to look at the younger man.

"I don't know," says Sage.

"Is there any place you think of when you think of Satsuki?" asks Cye, glancing between Mia and Sage.

"Our home?" says Sage, without any enthusiasm.

"I don't think Satsuki is the key here," says Mia, shaking her head. "Sage, did Sekhmet say that you'd know where to find them or him?"

Blinking his eyes, Sage glances once at the Warlord before looking at Mia.

"He said him, not them," says Sage.

"What does that matter?" demands Cale, taking a step toward Mia. "How will this help us find her?"

"I think Sekhmet, not Satsuki is the key here," explains Mia. "So a better question is, is there any place you can think of when you think of Sekhmet?"


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It had gotten to the point where the sound of the water hitting rocks was her only friend. There wasn't much light in the cave, but there was enough so that Satsuki wasn't completely blind.

Her shaking had stopped some time ago. Taking deep breaths had helped to calm her, though she knew that it wouldn't be long before he showed up again. She was trying to hold out some hope that either her brother and his friends or Cale would show up. But as the time went by, she felt more alone with every passing moment.

Standing up, she decides to see if she can figure out where she is. Glancing up, she noticed a ledge not too far above her on the wall of the cave. Walking over to the ledge, Satsuki tries to get up onto it, but finds that she doesn't have the upper body strength needed to pull herself up. Giving up on the ledge of the moment, she turns to attention back into the main portion of the cave.

Almost dead center in the cave appears to be what is left of a pillar of some sort, though not made out of any rock she had seen before. Walking over to the column, she notices that the rock is made out of some cloudy, shiny material. Laying a hand on it, she glances up at it.

The pillar had long since been destroyed, though it looked like it had exploded outward, rather than just crumbled with time. Shaking her head, Satsuki turns her attention away from the rock as she hears the sound of footsteps echoing throughout the cave.

Turning to face the side passage, she watches as Sekhmet enters the cavern with her. Saying nothing, she holds herself still, hoping to not gain the attention of the Warlord of Poison.

"Apparently, I wasn't that rough with you, if you can already be moving around," says Sekhmet, striding further into the room.

Backing up, she feels her back hit the rock pillar that stands behind her.

"No smart remarks?" asks the Warlord of Poison. "Have I broken you already?"

Glaring at the Warlord, Satsuki waits to see what the man's next move will be.

"Or have you decided on silent defiance?" asks Sekhmet, stepping closer to the young woman.

Raising a hand, Sekhmet grabs Satsuki by the back of the neck and pulls her into his body.

"If you allow yourself to enjoy it, you might find that I'm a better lover than that scarred freak," whispers Sekhmet, as he lowers his mouth to hers.

Just as his lips brush hers, Satsuki opens her mouth and bites Sekhmet on the lip. Cursing, Sekhmet throws Satsuki to the ground. Raising a hand, he wipes the blood from his lips.

"Very well," says Sekhmet, with a sneer. "Rough it will be."

…………………

"I can't think of any place that involves Sekhmet," says Sage, shaking his head.

Feeling the eyes of everyone in the room on him, Sage can only sigh in frustration.

"Typically, I battled with Cale, not Sekhmet," says Sage.

"Think, Sage," demands Mia, laying a hand on Sage's shoulder. "When was the first time you saw Sekhmet?"

"On the roofs in Toyama, just after the Dynasty first appeared," replies Sage, shaking his head. "But how is that information going to help us?"

"What about after Talpa had sent us to sleep?" asks Rowen, glancing among the Ronin Warriors.

"What about it?" asks Sage, clenching and unclenching his hands.

"Except for Rowen, all of us were attacked by a Warlord when we awakened," says Cye. "Who attacked you?"

"Sekhmet," says Ryo, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

"I remember," says Sage, nodding his head. "He had blinded you."

"Could he have brought Satsuki there?" asks Kento, glancing between Ryo and Sage.

"It's a place to start," replies Cye, getting to his feet.

"Then let's get a move on," says Kento, heading for the door.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Hold up!" calls Rowen, calling attention to himself.

Stopping, the four Ronins and Cale turn back to face the Sky Warrior.

"What, Rowen?" demands Kento, bouncing on his feet.

"Cale, Sage, you two, of all people, should know why the caves may not be the answer," says Rowen cryptically.

"What are you referring to, Ronin?" asks Cale, who is also impatient to leave.

"Sage," says Rowen, ignoring the Warlord and turning to look at his best friend. "Remember, sleeping in the caves at the Canasota Gulch Pinnacles weren't the last time you were there."

"Yes, I returned there after the dreams," replies Sage, nodding his head.

"Yes, I also remember," says the Dark Warlord in agreement. "But what has that time got to do with Sekhmet."

"Hello? What's going on?" demands Kento, glancing between his two friends and the Warlord.

"I think I understand," replies Cye, nodding his head. Glancing at Sage, Cye cocks his head. "Didn't you guys kinda destroy the cave when you fought that time?"

Stopping to reflect, both the Warriors of Light and Dark think over those moments during that battle.

"I remember, I used my Thunder Bolt Cut," says Sage, talking through what had happened.

"But you didn't destroy the whole cave," says Cale, glancing at the blonde warrior. "I'm not saying you didn't do a lot of damage, but there was some cave left after our fight."

"Then we're back where we started," says Ryo, glancing toward the door. "Let's go."

"About fucking time," replies Kento heading for the door.

…………………

In the Canasota Gulch Pinnacle caves, Satsuki shivers in the cold. Sekhmet had finally left her alone for a little while.

I don't know how much longer I can take this, thinks Satsuki, while rubbing her arms.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Satsuki waits for the Warlord to appear. Stepping into the enclosure, the Warlord of Venom stares at his prisoner.

"When do you think your rescue will show?" sneers Sekhmet.

"You should be worried," says Satsuki, trying to build her backbone back up.

"Oh?" asks Sekhmet, striding over to the young woman.

Taking her chin in his armored hand, he jerks her face to look up at him.

"And what do I have to fear from them?" asks Sekhmet.

"Death," replies Satsuki, glaring at the Warlord.

Laughing, Sekhmet pushes Satsuki away from him and strides out of the cave.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Relieved that the green haired Warlord decided to leave her alone this time, Satsuki decides to take advantage of her good luck. Crawling around on hands and knees, she decides to find herself a weapon.

There must be a good-sized rock here somewhere. I won't let him catch me off guard again.

Running her hands over the ground, she quickly comes upon a large rock. Able to pick up the rock, Satsuki practices a couple of swings with it.

Not the best weapon I've ever used, but it might make him think twice before he touches me again.

Keeping the weapon near at hand, Satsuki sits down with her back against what is left of a stone pillar.

…………………….

Opening her eyes slowly, Satsuki realizes that it is the sound of walking that has drawn her awake. Worried that she may have lost her chance to fight back since she fell asleep, Satsuki waits and watches the Venom Warlord enter the cavern chamber.

Stopping just inside, Sekhmet takes a moment to look at his prisoner, while at the same time Satsuki does the same.

Good. He's finally taken off that damn armor. I might have a fighting chance now.

"You're not going to fight back?" asks Sekhmet, as he moves further into the room.

Saying nothing, Satsuki waits for her chance to strike.

"I've broken you already," sneers Sekhmet, stopping just out of reach.

Reaching a hand down to her arm, Sekhmet is about to jerk her standing when he feels a crushing blow to the back of his head. Falling to his knees from the sudden and unexpected attack, he isn't able to raise a hand in time to stop a second blow.

Jumping to her feet, Satsuki drops the rock and rushes out of the cave. Though there isn't much light to see with, her eyes have grown accustom to what little light that there is. Running almost blind, Satsuki feels a powerful need to be as far from the fallen Warlord as she can get.

Seconds turn to minutes as Satsuki continues to rush through the caverns toward what she hopes is out. Stopping to catch her breath, she listens in the direction from which she has fled. Hearing nothing, she hopes that her luck will continue to work.

Taking one more calming breath, Satsuki continues her dash toward freedom.

"BITCH!"

Realizing that her luck is running out, Satsuki glances once behind her to see how close the Warlord is. Able to see too far into the darkness, Satsuki hopes she has enough of a lead.

"WHORE!"

Jerking another glance over her shoulder, Satsuki begins to sweat from more than just running.

He sounds closer. Please God! Don't let him find me.

Finally, after what seems like hours, Satsuki begins to feel a cool, fresh breeze blow across her hot cheeks. Hope rises slowly in her chest as she realizes that she is close to her freedom from the cavern of terror.

……………………

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh, I am so mean! I guess you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out if Satsuki gets out of the cave.**_


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

What had at first started only as a small breeze against her cheeks was slowly becoming a strong whip of wind that ruffled her hair. Satsuki could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Knowing that soon she'd be able to end the nightmare that Sekhmet had placed her in, Satsuki took one more look behind her.

_No sign of him. Maybe he thought I went further into the cave?_

Not finding that she cares either way, providing he doesn't find her, Satsuki puts one last burst of speed into her step and finds herself outside in the light and fresh air.

Stopping for a moment, Satsuki looks around to see where she is.

_There's nothing out here. Just a bunch of trees! How am I going to get away?_

Deciding to worry more about moving, Satsuki begins to run again. She has only taken a few steps before she is tackled from behind. Struggling against her attacker, she finds herself flipped onto her back and staring up into the face of a very pissed off Warlord of Venom.

"Bitch!" screams Sekhmet, raising a dagger above his head.

Plunging the dagger down, Sekhmet drives the blade into Satsuki's shoulder, pinning her to the ground.

Crying out in pain, Satsuki tries to bump Sekhmet off of her.

"I've been too nice," rants Sekhmet, as he twists the blade.

Screaming in agony from the knife as it twists inside her flesh, tears fall from her eyes.

"I won't wait for the heroes," continues Sekhmet, as he twists the blade some more.

Raising her free hand, Satsuki tries to scratch Sekhmet's face. Using his other hand, he backhands Satsuki across the face. Lowering his face to her ear, he drives the blade further into her body.

"The blade in your shoulder is poisoned, just like all my blades are," whispers Sekhmet, before raising his face. "Die like the whore you are."

………………….

"Are we there yet?" demands Kento, from the backseat.

"Almost," says Mia, watching the Warrior of Strength in her rearview mirror before focusing her attention back on the road and the car that is in front of her.

Only a few weeks earlier, Sage had bought himself a new vehicle. It was a jeep, much like her own. Luckily, he had had the vehicle at her house, otherwise she would have never been able to get everyone to the caves in her car alone.

Cye, Rowen, and Cale had decided to ride with Sage, while Ryo and Kento rode with Mia. Secretly, she thought Sage got the better deal on traveling companions.

Hearing Kento shift in the backseat again, Mia glanced in the mirror to see what he was doing. Finding that he was only antsy, Mia got her eyes back on the road.

"Ryo?" she asks, peeking over at the young man she secretly finds attractive.

"Yeah?" says Ryo, glancing at her from the front passenger seat.

"Do you think it's the right place?" asks Mia, doubtful for the first time since they left her house.

"If it's not, I don't know where else to look," says Ryo, shaking his head. "I hope for Sage's and Cale's sake that we're going to the right place."

Nodding her head, Mia says nothing in return. A moment passes in silence before Mia hears Kento shifting again in the backseat. Before he even opens his mouth, Mia knows what he's going to ask.

"Ummm, are we there yet?"

…………………

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh, the suspense! Gotta love it!**_


	9. Chapter 8

Warning: This chapter contains sexual violence

Chapter 8

Agony crawls through her body from where the knife had entered her shoulder. Satsuki can feel the poison slowly move through her body. Sight beginning to blur, she wonders if this truly is the end.

This can't be right! I can't have gotten this far only to be killed!

While she debates the events that have just taken place, her tormentor stands over her. Not wanting to miss a moment of her suffering, Sekhmet has remained within a few feet of the suffering woman.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" he whispers with pleasure. "Can you feel your death crawling through your veins?"

"Fuck off!" pants Satsuki through her pain.

"What a lovely idea," says Sekhmet, as he moves in closer to her.

Reaching a hand, Sekhmet pulls the tattered remains of her shirt from her body. Naked from the waist up, Satsuki can only give her new status of nakedness barely a worry from her mind.

"What better way to continue your torture," continues Sekhmet, as he runs a hand down her body.

Running his hand back up her body, he takes one of her breasts in his hand and squeezes harshly.

"I'll have your body one more time before you die," continues Sekhmet, as he uses his other hand to rip her pants from her lower half.

……………………..

Not much longer, thinks Sage, as he examines the country side. We have to be almost there.

"Is this the place?" asks Cale, trying to remain calm, though secretly damning his inability to transport himself to the cave.

"I think so," says Sage, as he pulls his jeep off the road and onto some grass.

Shutting off the engine, Sage slips out of the car only a second behind everyone else in the jeep. Closing the door, Sage turns away from the jeep only to watch Mia stop her vehicle as well.

Shutting off her own engine, Mia, Ryo, and Kento get out of the jeep to join the rest of their party.

"Where to now?" asks Cye, glancing around the cold, lonely landscape.

Examining where he is, Sage quickly figures out which direction he needs to go in. Nodding his head toward the east, Sage starts to walk in that direction. Listening to the sound of his friends following behind him, Sage finds himself barely aware of Cale's presence, as the Warlord walks beside him.

Picking up the pace, Sage finds himself going from walking to running within seconds. Rushing to the entrance of the caves, he finds a sight of horror that greets him.

Two figures lay entwined in front of the cave entrance. For a moment, Sage can only stop and stare, not wanting to understand what he is seeing. But all too quickly, his mind realizes what his eyes are seeing.

Sekhmet is raping my sister!

"SATSUKI!" shouts out the Warrior of Light, with Cale echoing his cry.


	10. Chapter 9

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy Easter! Here's the next chapter. More will be coming soon!_**

Chapter 9

As the Ronin Warriors and Cale rush across the field toward Satsuki, they don their armors. Sekhmet, seeing that they are no longer alone, leaps to his feet and rushes away into the cave. Breaking away from the rest of the group, Cale and Sage run after Sekhmet.

"Sage!" shouts Cye, as he runs toward the downed woman.

Pausing, Sage glances over his shoulder to look at his friend.

"Satsuki is hurt!" shouts Cye.

Turning around, Sage returns to the group and kneels down beside his sister. Drawing the knife from her body, Sage's armor begins to glow in a green light. Laying his hands gently over the wound, Sage closes his eyes as he sends out the green energy into Satsuki's body.

A moment passes and then another before Sage opens his eyes. Staring down at his sister, Sage takes a breath. Removing his hand, where once an ugly slit had been, now is healed skin.

"The wound is healed," says Sage, before rolling his head back to look at his friends.

Standing up, Sage turns and strides toward the entrance to the cave. Just as he reaches the mouth, he notices the shadow of a man walking out. Stopping, Sage watches as Cale exits the cave.

"The fucker disappeared," snarls Cale, as he walks pass Sage and toward Satsuki.

"Meaning you lost him in the cave?" asks Rowen.

"No. I mean he teleported away," says Cale, as he leans down over Satsuki. Just before he picks her up, he slips his main armor off, then lifts the unconscious woman into his arms.

"Then there isn't anything else we can do right now," murmurs Mia, watching the former warlord gently cradle the woman in his arms. "We'd better head home for Satsuki, so she can rest and heal."

"Heal?" asks Kento, glancing at Mia. "But Sage took care of that."

Ignoring the Ronin of Strength, Cale walks away from the group with his precious cargo. Following behind him, Sage drops his armor and then removes a set of keys from his jeans, so that he can open his car for Cale.

Stepping up next to Kento, Cye lays a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Not all healing needed will be physical," says Cye, before he moves off to join the others.

………………………..

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know, I let him get away again. But you know the old saying, third time is the charm. Don't worry. This story isn't done yet. **_


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

One week later…

Though she could hear the sound of approaching feet, Satsuki kept her eyes shut and tried to get back into the calm state she had found only moment earlier. Though the person who joined her made no noise, other than breathing, she knew that, for now, it would be foolish to try to meditate again.

"Finally decided to stop avoiding me?" she asked the person behind her, before open her eyes.

Turning her head a little, Satsuki stares up into a pair of dark blue eyes.

"I thought you wouldn't want to see me," says Cale.

"Why would you think that?" she asks, rising to her feet.

"After what happened…" he begins, but drifts off, not knowing how to finish the sentence.

"You didn't have anything to do with it," says Satsuki, shaking her head.

"But I didn't want to bring back bad memories either," he says, turning away from the woman he loves for a moment.

"Haven't we had this conversation once before?" Satsuki asks.

"But that was only when he had attempted," replies Cale. "Now he has…"

"I know what he has done," interrupts Satsuki, with a shake of her head. "Better than anyone else."

Saying nothing, Cale hesitates a moment before taking Satsuki into his arms and holds her truly for the first time since she had been kidnapped by Sekhmet. Taking a breather to enjoy the feel of tender arms around her, Satsuki finds herself loathed to pull away. Lifting her mouth far enough from his chest, Satsuki finally gives voice to the fears she had held inside for a week.

"I thought you weren't coming near me because you thought I was spoiled goods," she whispers.

"No!" says Cale, placing his hands on her shoulders to push her away far enough to look her in the eyes. "Damn it! You're the victim, Satsuki and I would never blame you for what he did."

"I was worried that you did," she replies, before laying her head back on his chest.

"I love you, Satsuki," whispers Cale, while raising a hand to stroke her head. "Please always remember that."

"I love you too, my dark warlord," she replies.

Minutes pass while the two lovers hold onto each other, both afraid that letting go would mean to lose each other once more. Finally, taking a deep breath, Cale slides one of his hands behind his back and removes something from his belt.

"I want you to have this," he says, presenting Satsuki with a short dagger. "I don't want you to be caught weaponless again."

Taking the blade, Satsuki slides it into the waist of her pants.

"Do you think I'll need it?" she asks.

"We didn't get him," replies Cale, lifting his eyes to gaze around the wooded area. "Something tells me that he isn't done yet."

………………………..

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok, so here I am, working on Poison and a thought crosses my mind: what happened to Dais? After Shadows, he kind of dropped off the face of the earth. Look for the one shot, Mirage, coming soon!**_


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Typing away at the computer, Mia didn't pay attention to what was going on around her. Feeling as if only minutes had gone by since when she first sat down, she glances up toward the windows behind her desk to realize that the sun has set.

_Wow! Where did the time go?_

Shaking her head, Mia goes back to the work she is doing on the computer. Soon the college semester would start up again and she wanted to be ready for her next wave of students.

"Mia?"

Looking up, Mia realizes that she again lost track of the world around her. Standing next to her, Sage glances down once at her computer screen before looking at her.

"Do you have a minute?"

"Sure, Sage," she replies, turning away from the computer to face her young friend. "What's wrong?"

"It's Satsuki," he says, shaking his head. "I feel like she's trying to pretend it all didn't happen."

"Maybe that's her way of coping with it," she suggests.

"Ignoring it won't make it go away," says Sage. "I mean, look at you and Ryo…"

"I thought we were discussing your sister," says Mia, uncomfortable with what Sage has mentioned.

"No," says Sage, staring down at the older woman. "Let's talk about that for a moment. Why won't you just tell Ryo how you feel?"

"Sage," Mia says, shaking her head. "I won't talk about that."

"Fine," says Sage, giving up for a moment on the idea of her love life. "What are we going to do about Satsuki? She can't continue to pretend it didn't happen."

"Oh? And what would you suggest I do?"

Turning toward the door, Mia and Sage watch as the young woman in question enters the room.

"Well, Sage?" Satsuki demands, striding up to her brother.

"I think it might help you to talk to someone," he suggests. "Maybe we can ask Father for a name of a doctor…"

"You think I need a fucking shrink?" she exclaims.

"I only mean because of what you went through…" starts Sage, but is interrupted again by his sister.

"I think I know better of what happened than you ever will."

"Satsuki," says Mia calmly, gaining the attention of the younger woman and her brother. "What Sage is meaning is that he wants to help you, whatever that help may mean."

Saying nothing, Satsuki turns away from her brother and Mia and walks toward the door. Stopping in the doorframe, Satsuki glances once over her shoulder before turning her eyes to the front.

"There's no help that you can find that will take away what has happened," she says, and then walks out the door.

……………………

Outside the house by the lake, a dark figure stands in the shadows of the woods nearby. Watching the house, the man makes no move to get closer to the building. His eyes remain fixed on the house and those that move within its walls, searching…


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Having spent a rough night, Satsuki rises from her bed on little sleep. Getting a sense of being watched, Satsuki is reminded of those days when Cale stalked her. Knowing that her lover now has no reason to watch her from the dark, she wonders if it is only her own nerves playing games with her mind.

_I haven't had a calm moment since the day I helped Yulie and got involved in this whole mess. My nerves just need some time to settle down._

Making her bed, she heads for the shower, only to find it already occupied.

"How much longer?" she calls, not knowing who's inside.

"If you have such a need to be in here, you can join me," calls the dark, seductive voice of her lover.

Smiling, Satsuki pushes open the door and closes it behind her. Finding Cale with only a towel and steam on the mirror, she knows what he was doing before she interrupted him.

"Care to take another shower?" she asks coyly.

"Are you sure about this?" he asks in return, concerned.

"What do you mean?" Satsuki comments, though she has a good idea.

"I don't want to rush anything."

"There's nothing to rush," she replies, turning her back to him and grabbing a clean, dry towel. "And didn't we deal with this in the woods yesterday."

"Talking is one thing, doing is another," he replies, wrapping the towel around his waist.

"Well, I'm done with talking," she replies, walking passed him to get the shower and turning on the water.

Adjusting the temperature, Satsuki turns away to lay her towel down on the counter. Stepping up behind her, Cale curls his hands around her shoulders and draws her to him.

"I want this to last," he whispers. "I don't want to make any mistakes."

"I need this," she says, turning in his arms. "My last memories of that are with him. I want to make new memories."

Nodding his head, Cale helps her undress and, slipping the towel off his body, glides into the shower with her. Getting them both wet under the hot spray, he takes some of the liquid soap in his hands and runs it over her body. Paying extra attention to her nipples, he plucks at them until they are stiff, soapy, and wet.

Returning the favor, Satsuki puts some soap in her hands and rubs it into his skin. Leaning in, she licks his nipples, bobbing between the right and left.

"Maybe this isn't such a safe place for this," he whispers.

Saying nothing, she slides her hand down his body and takes his hardened cock into her soapy hands. Stroking it up and down, she raises herself to her toes and kisses her lover on his mouth.

"Safe or not, I want it now," she says.

"As my lady wishes," he replies, as he turns to pour more soap into his hands.

Rubbing his soapy hands over her stomach, he slowly moves them further south until he reaches her mound of curls. Sliding a hand between her thighs, he plays with her slit. Taking a wider stance, Satsuki opens her legs for him.

Slipping a finger between her woman's lips, he finds her opening and pushes a finger inside. Arching against him, she lets out a moan.

"I can't wait," she pleads. "Now!"

Nodding his head, he braces her against the shower wall. Sliding his hands to her waist, he raises her up and drops her down onto his hardened cock. Finally inside, he feels her woman's core tighten around him. Groaning, he begins to pump her.

It only takes a moment before she finds her release, followed quickly by him. Lowering her to her feet, they stay in each other's arms for a moment before separating. Quickly washing off the remaining soap from their bodies, they turn off the water and get out of the shower.

Taking the dry towel in his hands, Cale rubs down Satsuki before toweling himself down. Drawing her into his arms, Satsuki rests her head against his shoulder.

"This is better help than talking ever could have been," she murmurs to herself.

"What?" he asks, pulling away from her.

"Nothing," she says with a smile. "I just said that this helped."

Nodding his head with a smile of his own, they turn to the bathroom door and leave the room of steam behind.

…………………….

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Come on, People! I had to add a chapter of just them…getting it on. I'm so bad. **_


	14. Chapter 13

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry it's been so long. I'm in the middle of changing jobs. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my stories or you guys! This chapter is short, but at least it's something to tide you over till I can put my attention back on writing.**_

Chapter 13

Standing in the shadows of the trees, Sekhmet watches the house by the lake. Staring at the people as they come and go, looking for the one he wants. The one he meant to kill, but who was saved.

_I can be patient, Bitch! I can wait a long time. They can't guard you forever!_

…………………

Satsuki leaves her bedroom behind after getting dressed from her shared shower. No longer as glum as before, Satsuki walks down the stairs and enters the kitchen, where she finds Cye cooking.

"What's for breakfast?" she asks.

"What do you want?" he replies over his shoulder.

"No special treatment," Satsuki says, all serious.

"No special treatment intended," replies the Ronin of Trust. Shifting his weigh, Cye glances over his shoulder at her. "Everyone else is done and Kento finished the remains. So I have to start fresh. Now, what do you want?"

"Then I'll just do cereal," she says, walking over to the cupboard.

"No cereal," says Cye, with a quick grin.

"Toast?" she asks, a hand still on the cupboard door.

"French Toast? Sure, coming right up," says Cye, turning back to the stove.

"I said toast," she says, with a quick laugh.

"Sorry, can't hear you," he replies.

Shaking her head, Satsuki leaves the kitchen to await her French Toast.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Placing her syrup covered plate in the sink, Satsuki turns to look out the window. Walking over to it, she pushes back the curtain and stares out at the beautiful, sunny day.

_Nice day for a walk, I think._

Going back to her bedroom, she puts on her sneakers and checks her hip for the blade that Cale had given to her. Finding it safely sheathed, Satsuki leaves her room and heads downstairs and out the door.

Crossing the yard, she heads for the nearby woods.

…………………

Coming around the side of the house, Sage and Cale continue their conversation until both men notice the woman walking away from the house.

"Where is she going?" asks the blonde warrior, shaking his head.

"Better follow her," replies Cale, as he strides off after her. "We don't know where Sekhmet is and he could be nearby."

"Just not too closely," suggests Sage, as he picks up his pace to keep in step with the older man. "I'd rather she didn't see us."

Nodding his head, Cale says nothing more as he keeps his eyes trained firmly on the woman that he loves.

………………..

Staring out at the house from the shadow cast by the trees, Sekhmet's eyes watch the woman as she enters the forest.

_You're mine now, Bitch!_


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Breathing in the cool air, Satsuki enjoys her walk. Wandering aimlessly, Satsuki finds herself lost in the woods near the house. Stepping through into a small clearing in the forest, Satsuki finds a small patch of sunlight and sits down. Closing her eyes, she soaks in the warmth of the sun.

_It's times like this that I can almost forget what happened._

Lying back onto the grass, Satsuki lets herself relax.

"Oh, isn't this nice," sneers a male voice.

Bolting upright, Satsuki's eyes widen as the man from her nightmares steps into the clearing to join her. Jumping to her feet, she places a careful hand on her hip, near the blade.

"What the fuck do you want?" she demands, taking a step back as Sekhmet strides toward her.

With less than three feet between them, Satsuki waits to see what the evil warrior will do.

"I asked you a questions," she says.

"Oh, I want a lot of things," he replies. "You dead being one of them."

Lunging at her with a short knife, he attempts to stab her. Jumping to the side, Satsuki avoids the blade. Keeping her eyes focused on the man before her, Satsuki fails to see her lover and brother enter the clearing behind her.

"Satsuki!" calls Sage.

Distracted, Satsuki glances over her shoulder to the men behind her. But the moment's distraction is all Sekhmet needs. Lunging forward a second time, this time without the blade in hand, Sekhmet grabs Satsuki and jerks her against his body.

"Release her," demands Cale, as he strides further into the clearing.

"I'd stop right where you are," replies Sekhmet, raising the short knife his hand to Satsuki's throat. "I'd hate to accidentally cut her before I'm ready to kill her."

Stopping more than four yards away, Cale waits to see what the other man will do.

"Let her go," says Sage, standing a mere two feet behind Cale.

"No," replies Sekhmet, tightening his grip on the woman in his arms.

Staring down at the blade pressed against her neck, Satsuki slowly moves her hand to her hip and the blade held there.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Fingers resting on the handle of the blade by her hip, Satsuki waits and listens as the men argue around her.

"She has nothing to do with any of this," says Cale, with forced calmness.

"She has everything to do with this," spits out Sekhmet. "If it wasn't for her, we would have destroyed the Ronins. She turned you into a fucking lap dog, rather than one of the greatest warriors that Master Talpa had."

Tightening his grip further on Satsuki, Sekhmet digs the blade a little into her throat. A small trickle of blood begins to flow down her neck.

With short, little breaths, Satsuki tries to calm her racing heart. Flexing her hand once over the knife, she begins to slide it out of the sheath slowly, so as not to attract attention from the man holding her.

"Let her go," says Sage calmly, trying not to enrage the man holding his sister more.

"Do you think I'd even consider letting this bitch go?" sneers the man. "As soon as my blade dropped from her throat, you'd both rush me."

"Cale is right. She has nothing to do with the issues between the Warlords and Ronins," says the blond Ronin evenly.

"She got involved the moment she helped that little brat of yours," snarls the green haired Warlord.

With a quick glance, Satsuki looks down with only her eyes toward the blade. Noticing that the blade was more than half way out, she raises her eyes and notes her lover staring at her.

_He realizes I'm trying to take the knife out! I think he's attempting to buy me time._

But with her body pressed against the man behind her, she can feel the tension in his body beginning to rise.

_I'm running out to time!_

Continuing to work the blade out, Satsuki splits her focus between the blade at her hip and the one at her neck. Feeling the blood running down her neck and under her shirt, Satsuki wonders if she'll have the time to get the blade out to be of any use to her.

With the blade at her neck digging in a little more, Satsuki realizes it's now or never. Wiping the blade out of her hip sheath, she rotates her wrist just a little. Sliding her hip a little to the left, she plunges the blade backwards.

"Bitch!" screams the green haired warrior, as he loses his grip on the woman.

Slipping away from Sekhmet, Satsuki presses a hand against the wound at her throat. Staring at the knife sticking out of Sekhmet, near his groin, she almost wishes that she had hit him a few more inches over.

Taking the blade in his hands, Sekhmet jerks the knife out of his skin. Blooding rushes out of the wound and Sekhmet realizes that the woman hit a major artery. Blood gushes down his leg and onto the grass around him. The bloody knife still in hand, Sekhmet lungs for the woman, only to be pushed back by Cale as he steps between them.

"Whore!" screams Sekhmet, finding himself weakening at the loss of blood.

Dropping to one knee, Sekhmet glares at the woman standing before him. Staring back in return, Satsuki continues to watch as the man drops to both knees.

Almost at the last moment, Sekhmet tries to save himself, but finds himself too weak to teleport away from the clearing. Dizziness taking his mind and darkness taking his sight, Sekhmet falls backwards onto the ground, as the blood continues to rush from the mortal wound.

Minutes pass, while Satsuki watches her tormentor taking in his last gasping breaths. All too soon, the clearing is quiet and the snake man is dead.

With her hand still pressed to her neck, Satsuki stares down at the corpse near her feet. Almost afraid, she takes a moment to realize that the terror is over. Raising her eyes to her brother, Satsuki takes a breath.

"You're right, Sage," she says calmly. "I did need therapy."

Taking one more look down at the dead man, she again raises her eyes to her brother.

"Therapy's over," she says, before turning her back on the man whom tried to destroy her life.

Walking out of the clearing, Satsuki leaves behind her nightmares as well.


	18. Epilogue

Epilogue

Staring out the darkened window, Satsuki listens as the door opens and shuts behind her. Hearing the sound of footsteps walking across the room to her, she knows who it is even before he wraps his arms around her.

"How do you feel?" asks Cale, placing a kiss on the side of her head.

"Shock, disbelief, joy," she replies.

"Joy?" he asks, turning her in his arms.

"I'm glad he's dead," she says, not making eye contact with the man before her.

Placing a hand on her chin, Cale raises her face so that she has to look at him. For a moment, they stare at each other.

"Where does this leave us?" he asks.

A gentle smile curves her mouth.

"Well, if you can accept me and what I did, I would say that it leaves us with a future," she replies, before raising herself on tiptoes and gently pressing her lips against his.

"You have accepted me and the things I have done," starts Cale, placing his hands on either side of her head. "How can I do any less?"

A single tear escapes from the corner of her eye. Brushing it aside with one of his fingers, Cale leans down and gives Satsuki a kiss filled with passion and love. Separating for air, Satsuki gives a quick grin to her lover.

"Let's hope Sage can handle having a Dark Warlord as a brother-in-law," she says.

Laughing, Cale wraps the woman before him tightly in his arms. With Satsuki in his arms, Cale knows that his future to be a brighter place and for once, he embraces the light, rather than the darkness he has known for far too long.

THE END

……………………

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yup, that's right. The story is done. It took me over a year to write the complete story, starting with Shadow and ending with Poison (with Mirage thrown in as a side story). I hope you guys have enjoyed reading it almost as much as I've enjoyed writing it. **_


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